Extending the Piece: Choreopoem and Embodied Performance in Mixed Reality

Abstract

This thesis investigates how Mixed Reality (MR) technologies can support choreopoems- hybrid performances rooted in poetry, movement, and embodied storytelling- while preserving their emotional resonance and cultural specificity. Emerging from Black feminist performance traditions, choreopoems prioritize presence, truth-telling, and collective expression. Using a design-based research approach grounded in performance as research (PaR), ten performers co-created choreopoems around the theme of "boundaries" using custom MR tools. The system included spatial drawing, interactive props, and gravity-shifting elements to support metaphor, movement, and embodied storytelling. Pre- and post-performance interviews, along with observational data, revealed how performers engaged with MR not just as a digital platform, but as a responsive partner in expression. Participants found new modes of creativity in MR’s interactive elements, using space as metaphor and layering gesture with digital presence. At the same time, concerns remained about the loss of facial visibility, audience connection, and the risk of disconnection from the cultural histories embedded in movement. This research argues that while MR can open new pathways for choreopoetic expression, it must be designed with care, centering human connection, cultural context, and the lived body.